Train-pipe coupling.



V. S. DURBIN.

TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.6,1911

Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

3 SHEBTSSHEBT 1,

l o I V. S. DURBFEN.

TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 6, 1911.

Patented Apr. 29,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

V. S. DURBIN. TRAIN PIPE COUPLING;

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 6, 1911.

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STATESPA VOTAW S. DURBIN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 DURBIN AUTOMATIC TRAIN OFFICE.

PIPE CONNECTOR COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF ARIZONA.

TRAIN-rim COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent; Application filed November 8, 1911. Serial No. 658,667.

Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in automatic coupling attachments for the signal, brake and steam pipes of railway cars, which couphngmech amsm also involves means for automatically making connection between terminals of a tele hone clrcuit.

- T e invention is, in efiect, an improve-- ment on a like device heretofore patented to Nelson Toy, October 6th, 1908, No. 900,132. v

The present-invention has for its objects to provide an improved form of yielding supportfor the coupler head; to provide means for maintaining the cou ler heads in their interlocked relation un er the ordinary conditions of service, thereby preventing relative movement between the two coupler heads; and to provide an im roved means for mounting the coupler hea upon its support.

Other objects of the invention reside in certain details of construction and combinations and arrangements of arts, all of which will be more clearly un erstood from the description and claims to follow.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view in section of a portion of the meetingends'of two cars with draft couplers attached, and in coupled relation, and showing in elevation my improved automatic train pipe coupler and electrical connector in position on the respective cars and incon led relation; Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the two members of my device in coupled relation, the train pipes being detached Fig. 3 is a view of the same parts in side elevation; Fig. 4: is a sectional view on theline of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a view in .front elevation of one of the coupler heads, a portion of the same being broken away to show the location of the contact pins; Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view on the line 66 of Fi 3, showing the two coupler heads in inter ocked relation; Fig. 7 1s a similar view, but showing the two coupler heads separated; and-Fi c 8 is a section on the line 88 of Fig. 3, il ustrating the man ner in which a continuous conduit through the coupler head is formed. when they are brought together.

Referring now to the drawings, the numerals 1 and 2 indicate, respectively, the

meeting ends of two cars, each T of which has extending across its end at the bottom a piece of timber 3, called the dead-wood.

4 indicates, generally, the draft couplers. The two members of my device bein alike in all particulars, and being suppor from. each car in exactly the same manner, a description of one, and the manner of supporting it, will suflice for both.

5 indicates a conical housin' having at its rear end apertured webs 6 y means, of' whic-hit is supported from the car by bars 7 secured at their upper ends to the car, or to the draft rig ing thereof, and at their 'lower ends being olted to the webs 6, as indicated at 8 The webs 6 form an integral part of a plate 9 which is bolted to the- .rear end of the housing 5, as indicated at 10, and which is provided with an inwardlyextending, centrally-apertured projection 11, the aperture forming a snug bearing for a plunger 12. The outer end of the housing is provided with a circular projection 13 which is centrally bored to form a second bearing for the plunger'12. A pin 14 extends through the wall of the projection 13 and its inner end fits in a longitudinal groove (not shown) in theplunger- 12 to prevent the same from turning. Secured on the plunger 12 within the housing 5 is a flanged collar 15, between which and the rear end of the housing is mounted a coneshaped, coiled spring 16. Between the inner end of the collar 15 and the outer end of the projection 11 I also mount a small coiled spring 17. The plun er 12 is free to move in the bearings provi ed by the projections 11 and 13, its movement in the outward direction being controlled by the engagement of the forward end of the collar 15 with a shoulder 18 formed by the inner'end of the projection 13. The coiled spring 17 does not come into play until -the plunger 12 has been pushed inward almost to the limit of its movement in such direction, when the collar 15 engages the said spring, and the power of this spring is added to the power of the spring 16 in resisting further in ward movement of the plunger. The forward end of'the plunger 12 is provided with the cap is reamed out, as indicated at play of the coupler V head which is fashioned to receive length tube 48 carrying one member of a as indicated at 20, to allow a greater range of movement of the coupler head, as more clearly'explained later on.

21' indicates the coupler head, which is provided on its rear side with a boss 22 which is exterior-1y screw-threaded to receive a cap 23. The boss 22 is centrally apertured, as indicated at 24, the adjacentportions of the boss andcap being suitably enlarged to form a'socket bearing for the ball 19. I .The cap 23 is centrally apertured, of course, the aperture being smaller than the ball 19 so as when the parts are assembled to securely hold the coupler head on the plunger, and the opening in the outer end of 25, to permit the requisite head about the ball.

It will be seen that the construction described forms a ball and socket joint permitting pivotal movement of thecoupler head in all directions; It is necessary, however, that the head shall be maintained, although yieldingly, in a given normal position so as to be at all times in position to engage the mating coupler head on the other car. To this end I recess the ball 19, and secure in such recess one end of a coiled spring 26, the other end being firmly secured within a longitudinally-extending recess 27 by means of a screw 28. Each of the coupler heads has a hollow pyramidal projection 29 on its front face at one side thereof, and adjacent thereto an opening 30, the side of the projection 29 forming one side of the opening 30. v

31 indicates an integral downwardly-extending portion of the coupler head which is provided with two openings 32 and 33, each of which has secured therein a rubber-gasket 34 and 35, respectively. The openings 32 and 33 are continued through two short tubes 36 and 37 projecting inwardly from the rear side of the coupler head, and which are suitably. fashioned to receive two short lengths of hose 38 and 39, eachcarrying one member of a hose coupling 40, 41, which is of the usual construction.

.42 indicates the signal pipe and 43 the brake pipe, each of a coupling member designed to engage with the respective couplingmembers 40 and 41. At its upper end the coupling head is provided with anextension 44 which is provided with an opening 45 having secured therein a rubber gasket 46. The'ape'rture 3 45 is continued through a short tube 47 projecting; from the rear side of the coupler a short hose coupling 49. 50 indicates a steam pipe which carries a coupling member designed' to engage the which carries at its end.

coupling member 49. By an inspection of Fig. 8 it will be seen that when the coupler heads are brought together the gaskets 46-, which project slightly beyond the face of the coupler head, will be brought into con- -which projects a leaf-spring 52 having a shoulder 53, the said leaf-spring being secured to the inner side of the outer wall of the said pyramidal projection, as more clearly illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. When the two coupler heads are brought together the pyramidal projection 29 of one enters the opening 30 of the other, a spring 52 will engage behind the outer wall 53 of said opening and thus hold the coupler heads in engagement under the ordinary strain or movement to which they would be subjected, although permitting the coupler heads to be separated as the cars are drawn apart. This position of the parts is shown in Fig. 6.

54 indicates a bridge-piece mounted in each of the said pyramidal projections, and between this bridge-piece and the leaf- 2;,

spring 52 a coiled spring 55 is mounted tov '1',

reinforce the leaf-spring 52. Mounted on opposite sides-of the wall 56 of thepyramidal projection 29 adjacent to the opening 30 are insulating blocks 57 through which, and through insulated openings provided in the said wall, are mounted two contact pins 58 each of which is provided with a shoulder 59 to limit its inward movement. Theouter ends of the contact pins extend through apertures in the bridge-piece 54 provided. with suitable insulating material, and between such material and the shoulder 59 of each pin is mounted a coiled spring 60, which cushions the outer movement of said contact pins. The said spring 60 causes the contact pins to project normally beyond 1 the inner face of the wall 56 in positionto be engaged by companion coupler head when the said heads 61 forming part of a metallic circuit.

Asmore clearly shown in Fig. 4 by dotted lines, the plunger 12 has a longitudinal aperture extending through it from end to end, and the electrical conductors 61, which are covered with insulating material, pass through an opening 62 adjacent to the recess 27 and thence through the aperture in the plunger out through the rear end of the same, whence they lead up into the car, or underneath the same to the coupling member on the, other end of the car. By conducting the wires 61 through the plunger-s as just dethe corresponding pins of the 1 are brought together. Connected with each of the contact pins is an electrical conductorscribed, they are thus protected from injury and are only exposed, if at all, at the points beneath the car where they are least likely shaped to receive the substantially rectangular portion thus formed on the projection so that when the coupler heads are interlocked there will be less tendency to relative movemen-t between the coupler heads under lat eral strain or leverage. This result is, of

course, further aided by the provision of the springs 52 which tend to hold the coupler heads in fixed relation to each other.

As a further means of yieldingly maintaining the coupler head in its normal position I secure on the dead-wood on opposite sides of the draft coupling, respectively, two

hollow casings 63, only one of which is shown in Fig. 1, the lower end of which casing is provided with an'aperture through which extends a rod 64, each of the rods 64.- being secured in apertures 65 formed 'in a web 66 on the upper side of the coupler head (seeFig. 5). The upper end of each rod 64 has, secured thereon a collar 67, and between this collar and the lower end of the casing is mounted a coiled spring 68 which, bearing against the I collar 67, tends normally to press the rod 64 upward. A second collar 69 may be secured onfeach rod 64 to limit its upward movement.

In operation the spring-controlled rods 64 and the coiled spring 26 maintain the coupler heads in such position that when two cars are'brought together for coupling the pyramidal projection of one coupler head will enter the opening 30 of another,

the plungers 12 yielding and being moved backward some distance in their housings against the resistance of their springs, and the coupling heads moving into their interlocked relation, in which .position they are held by the power of the springs 16. The

s rings 52 likewise assist in holding the coup mg heads in engagement with each other,

and, as before stated, to. prevent relativemovement between them. As' the coupling heads move into the interlocked position the two contact pins 58 of one head will engage the two contact pins 58 of the other head,

the said pins mutually yielding and being held in' contact by their springs, as clearly shown in 6. This sliding engagement of the pins is preferable to direct contact 1n a strai ht line, or head n engagement, as the sliding contact of the pins keeps their meeting surfaces clean and, insures perfect contact. In Figs; 1 and-4, the parts are shown in the position they-assume when the .plun-gers have been pushed back in their housings as the coupling heads interlock. It will be understood, however, that the coupling heads normally project some distance beyond the draft coupler members immediately above it, so that when the con pling heads are brought together the respective plungers will be forced back in;

socket connection of the coupling head with the plunger also permits the coupling heads to be maintained in firm fixed relation to each other, as'it will be readily seen that the housings 5 and the plungers maybe subjected to movement in any conceivable direction without lil'll-ml-l'illg the connection between the two coupling heads.

My invention presents a simple and reli* able means, therefore, for automatically coupling the varidus pipes of a train of cars, and for effecting the electrical connection between the same, and insures the integrity of such coupling and connection as long as the cars are coupled. i

I have employed the term train pipe in the claims to refer to the air and steam pipes. A,

It will be obvious that the invention may be employed for connecting a single pipe or any number of pipes.

1. In combination with a pipes, a housing supported from said car and inclosing a spring, a plunger slidably mounted in said housing and normally pressed outward by said spring, and having at its outer end aball, a coupling-head having acentrally-located, exteriorly screwthreaded boss containing a socket receiving said ball, a cap screwed on said boss and embracing said ball, means formaintaining the coupling-head normally in aycoupling position, said coupling-head being provided car having trainwith ports for th passage of fluid, and hose-- attachingdevices carried by said couplinghead and communicating with said ports.

2. In combination with a car having trainpipes, a cushioned? plunger supported from the car, a coupling-head pivotally'mounted on said plunger and provided with ports for the passage of fluid, hose-attaching devices" carried by said coupling-head and communicating with said ports, housings mounted on-the car, springs enclosed in said housings and rods mounted at their upper ends in'said housings,and normally. held upward by said springs, and connected at theirlower ends with sa'idcoupling-head for maintain-- in}; it normally in the coupling position.

.3. In combination with a car having trainpipe s, a housing supported. from said car and .inclosing a spring, p v I mounted in said housing and"normally pressed outward by said spring and having at itsend a ball,-a coupling-head mounted on'the end of said plunger provided with a secured at its opposite endsto the ball of the plunger and to the interior of the couplinghead, respectively, for maintaining the coupling-head normally in the coupling positlon.

I 4 In combination with a car having trainpipes, a conical housing supported from said car and having an inwardly-extending,

-. centrally-apertured projection at its larger endand O I a projecting centrally-apertured portion at its smaller end, said apertured portlons forming bearings, a conical spiral V spring inclosed in said housing, a plunger 1 a plunger slidably extending through said housing and slidably 'mounted in said bearings, a. collar se-' curedto said plunger and engaged by the smallerend of said spring, a coupling-head pivotally'mountedon'said plunger and royided' with port-s fort-he passage of uid,

hose-attachirfg means carried by said coupling-head and communicating with said ports,-and yieldable means for maintaining said coupling-head normally in the coupling position.-

5. In a train-pipe coupling, a'coupling head provided with a pro eCt-ing member for entering Ian opening in, and with an opening for receiving a pro ect1on on, a- 'niatln-g coupling-head, and 'ashouldered leaf-spring mounted in said projection for engaging behind the wall of the opening in v the mating coupling-head when the cou' pling-l1eads are brought together. In testimony Wherof, I have hereunto 'set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses- VOTAW s. DURBI'N..

\Vitnesses: I Q

BRUCE S. ELLIOTT,

STELLA HILL.

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Washington, D. G. 85- 

